On Sunday, JoAnne Munoz withdrew a patient on ECMO Life Support in the CVICU. I have worked in the CVICU for 11 years and have never seen a nurse go so above and beyond for a patient and their family. She advocated for the parents' wishes every second of the shift, including facilitating compassionate extubation and arranging the room so the family could lie in bed and hold their baby for the last time. She lent a compassionate listening ear to the family in whatever they felt, whether it was sadness, anger, or love, and made them feel as if she had all the time in the world to listen and their baby was the most important in the world.

After the patient passed and there was a struggle with funeral arrangements, JoAnne Munoz was on the phone with funeral homes coordinating getting the body safely home. She did everything she could to shield the family from outside stressors, smiling and saying she would handle things for them so the family could just concentrate on loving their son and saying goodbye. She truly embodied the meaning of compassion, even when it went above and beyond her job roles. I don't believe there is anyone else who could have made that day go as smoothly, and I hope JoAnne Munoz receives the recognition she deserves for her outstanding care on the most difficult of days.